You know that Moose has been struggling for a long time with laryngeal paralysis and a host of other ailments. Well, you can probably add kidney problems right along with everything else. For the past several weeks, he’s been very wobbly and continuously fell down when trying to urinate, walk past his sister, or even walk around the living room. Last Friday he couldn’t get up on his own. He looked like death warmed over and I really thought he wouldn’t make it through the night.

Moose is nothing if not a fighter though. I did a lot of research in my 2 favorite homeopathy books – Dr. Pitcairn’s and Homeopathy for Dogs (I also have Homeopathy for Cats) and decided to try a little Plumbum Metallicum. The description on the label says for paleness, BUT….the Homeopathy for Dogs book states: “This remedy may be indicated in those conditions where excessive wasting over the lumbar region is accompanied by a tendency to paraplegia or weakness of the hind quarters. Other signs of incipient paralysis may arise such as difficulty in retaining saliva. Extreme constipation is invariably present.” Moose IS constipated, but hasn’t eaten much over the past few days. However, since giving him the Plumbum Met. twice a day since Friday, he’s eating better. Not great, but better. Also, he has been walking on his own, going outside and coming back without falling over once. He’s still a bit unsteady, BUT….to go from having my husband and I having to lift him up on his unsteady feet, to him getting up on his own truly is a miracle. (And a good homeopathic!)

I also gave him one dose of Mercurius vivus for his uremia. Uremia can cause ulcers in the mouth, bad breath and increased saliva, which contributed to his unwillingness to eat. He’s been smiling all day today, which makes me very happy.

Something else I just started giving him (because I am a little slow sometimes!) is Vetoquinol Epakitin Antioxidant Supplement for Dogs & Cats. I’ve been giving it to Henry for months and it seems to have slowed her kidney digression, so I thought….gee….why not try it on Moosie? I sprinkle it on lunch meat (one of the few things he’s been eating). I am cautiously optimistic.

Meet Smudge. He’s 22 years young. Smudge, along with his brother Moe, both suffer from kidney failure. A common occurrence in elderly cats.

Having raised and lost many, many cats throughout the years, I’ve come to know the signs of a lot of diseases befalling our sweet felines. This, by no means, guarantees that I know everything. I am still learning. However, with this blog, I will attempt to enlighten those that want to know what they can do, aside from running to the Vet every other day, to prolong the lives of their fur-babies and help them continue to grow old and happy.

I had 26 cats in my home at one point, many years ago. It was NOT by choice. I am NOT a breeder. I was happy with my 5 cats. They were happy, all was well in my world. Then little kids came by and begged me to take 2 little kittens that their Momma wouldn’t let them have. What can I say? I’ve never met a kitten I didn’t like. Then, BOOM, almost within 3 months of each other, I ended up with 3 pregnant females in my backyard. When it came time to find homes for the babies…..I wasn’t very successful. One family wanted to adopt a kitten but he’d have to live in the garage because the Dad didn’t like cats. No. Nope. Nada. So….they grew up in my house. They all had their first shots, they all were spayed and neutered. I was a responsible cat Momma.

Until Darby died from FIP. He was just a baby – the twin of Colby. I was devastated. After doing a lot of research, I realized that sometimes, the vaccination for Feline Leukemia can trigger the FIP reaction in a cat. All my cats were vaccinated for both of those dreadful diseases. It broke my heart. 22 years later, only 3 of my cats have gone to a Vet.

I don’t disrespect Veterinarians at all! I’ve met some wonderful, compassionate miracle workers in my time, but….that doesn’t mean they know everything. And I’ve found that a good medicine cabinet full of homeopathic medicine works just as well, if not better, than some of the harsh chemicals that end up in our feline friends from the doctors.

I’ve had my trials and tribulations because knowledge doesn’t come out of one book. It comes out of MANY books. And if I can give someone some answers to their questions without them having to do the years of research I’ve done, then I’m happy to do so. Smudge’s brothers and sisters (there were 6 of them) lived long, happy, healthy lives. Smudge, Moe and their sister Taylor are the 3 left and I will do what I can to keep them healthy and young. Just because they have an illness, there is no good reason to euthanize them. Personally, I prefer that they die at home in my arms, as opposed to a clinical office, but that’s a story for another time!